The invention is directed to a turn-on interlock for propelling a vehicle, in particular a magnetic levitation train, along a track, and further to a drive with a corresponding turn-on interlock.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
Drives for magnetic levitation trains, also referred to as maglev, are known in the art. Such drives include a linear motor with a stator extending along the track. The stator is divided into stator sections which are sequentially connected to an electric power source to propel the magnetic levitation train. Each stator section includes a feed switch which provides the connection to the power source. To decrease the permissible distance between trains, the sections can overlap so that under certain conditions two magnetic levitation trains can operate within a single drive or operation management section. However, this can disadvantageously cause undesirable interferences, if two stator sections, on which simultaneously two magnetic levitation trains are located, are simultaneously switched on. This can cause the magnetic levitation trains to drop to one side, which may prevent the trains from reaching their next stop. These situations should therefore be prevented or should occur only with a low probability. Suitable software can be installed to prevent several stator sections from being switched on simultaneously. However, the reliability that can be achieved in this way is still insufficient.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved interlock device and associated drive with such interlock for a magnetic levitation vehicle, in particular a maglev train, moving along a track which obviates prior art shortcomings and is able to specifically prevent more than one stator section of a linear motor propelling the vehicle to be switched on simultaneously.